


The Way It Should Be

by Stinkbuggy



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Fix-It, M/M, POV Multiple, Redemption, Slow Burn, Smitten! Sasuke, Tsunade is the only valid hokage, ending rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27966839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stinkbuggy/pseuds/Stinkbuggy
Summary: The Fourth Great Ninja War has ended. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha have fought to a bloody tie at the Valley of the End. But there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up. First, they have to end the Infinite Tsukuyome, and that's just the start of it. Sasuke has to deal with the fallout of his time as an international criminal and terrorist. No just walking away from that. Naruto has to deal with the reality that maybe the Hokage aren't the heroes he always thought they were. They also have to work out just what their relationship is and how exactly they feel about each other. Plus, Orochimaru's on the loose and no good can come from that. There's also the question of what the future holds for the shinobi world; will things go back to the way they were or will things change permanently this time? Will there be world peace at last? Who knows.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hyuuga Hinata & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place immediately after #698 and Episode 478 of Shippuden. Everything before then is pretty much canonical (sorry Neji). I think I got all the locations of where the characters were when they got hit by the Tsukuyomi right, but I could be wrong. Everyone was just doing their own thing back there.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke end the Infinite Tsukuyomi in a last ditch effort.

Naruto and Sasuke. Two figures of destiny, having fought their last battle, now lie broken inside the Valley of the End. They were on the brink of death, and they seemed to accept what seemed to be inevitable. Naruto’s previous words to Sasuke that they would both die if they fought will have been prophecy. But there was still one thing they needed to do, so Naruto turned to Sasuke, his voice weak and hoarse.

“Sasuke…”

“What is it?”

“We still have something left to do…the Infinite Tsukuyomi. We have to end it! We…just need to form that sign, and then we can break it and it’ll finally be…” Naruto struggled to continue speaking. He was unable to move his body without overwhelming pain.

“Still worried about everyone else? You are such a…

“Come on!!!” Naruto attempted to sit up, screaming and grunting in pain. “We HAVE to...or..or..

Sasuke breathed heavily. “It doesn’t have to be us, you know. After I die, someone can transplant my left eye, and all the tailed beasts will be unsealed. So, someone could still…

“No! We can’t take that chance! So COME ON.” Managing to sit up, he tenuously moved his remaining left hand and stuck it out towards Sasuke, forming his half of the Rat sign that would break the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

“You’re just going to end up bleeding out faster, idiot.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care if we die if it means we can help everyone, okay! So get over here, before I make you!”

Sasuke stared intently back at Naruto, contemplating as he spoke. There he goes again, that damn determination and foolish selflessness. The same determination and selflessness that compelled Naruto to chase after him. The two were nothing alike; the only thing they had in common was pain…yet Sasuke couldn’t help but wonder, _how did their paths diverge so much? Was it always meant to end like this? Or…could things have been different_? Sasuke thought about a world where instead of choosing hatred, he had ended up choosing friendship, comradery and love. No, that was not possible he reminded himself. From the beginning, it was always going to end like this. Sasuke’s road was always going to end in one thing: death. And Naruto, foolish Naruto, followed him on this road and his fate was going to be the same. Unlike him, Naruto did have a choice. Like everyone else, he could have just given up. Sasuke still did not understand why he didn’t. “Because you’re my friend.” That was the reason he was given but he still did not understand it. Looking back, when had he _ever_ been a good friend to Naruto? Despite that, Naruto was still going to die because of him. That dream of him becoming Hokage always sounded so stupid, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he could have been a great one; one who’d never repeat the mistakes of the previous Hokage, but that didn’t matter now. Naruto was going to die because of him. Then, the floodgates of shame and regret finally swung wide open inside Sasuke’s heart.

“Fine.”

Sasuke rose slowly, gritting his teeth as he moved his broken body. With his right hand, he pressed the other half of the sign to Naruto’s half. Nothing seemed to happen.

“Did…it work?” Naruto glanced around him, looking for proof that they broke the jutsu.

“We did what the Sage told us to do, so it must have. There’s no one trapped in the jutsu around here, so we wouldn’t be able to tell.”

“So, it’s over then. Good.” Naruto looked down at the ground in front of him and in the large pool of blood that formed around them. He then turned to Sasuke again, “Sasuke, when you see Itachi next, tell him that I wanted to say, ‘Thank you’. I couldn’t have done this without him.”

“I will.”

Naruto paused, and then spoke again. “I don’t have any regrets, you know. I really don’t mind things ending like this.

“You don’t mind dying here, alone?”

“I’m not alone. You’re with me. And there’s no one else I’d rather die with. I told you that before, didn’t I? That I’d shoulder all your hatred and die with you.”

Sasuke turned away, feeling tears in his eyes. _Why? Why would he do this for him?_

Silently, they both stared into space, awaiting what they saw as inevitable. The inevitable fate of Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki: death. But it wasn’t inevitable.

Two voices cried out from behind them, jolting them from their wait for death.

“Naruto! Sasuke!”

“Figures we would find them here.”

Sakura and Kakashi rushed to their side and Sakura, without a single pause, began administering healing to the both of them. “You two are badly hurt. And your arms… What happened?” She of course knew what happened. Sasuke and Naruto fought but she wanted to hear it for herself, to hear what they would say.”

Naruto gave a weak laugh and grinned. “We just had a little fight, Kakashi-sensei. That’s all.

“Little fight?” Kakashi glanced around him at the complete ruin around them; the Valley looked like it had been torn apart by giants. The giant stone figures of Madara and Hashirama lay cast into pieces around them, having been torn down by their incarnates. _Did the two of them really do all this?_ _The power they must have, battling each other to a draw like this._

“But it’s over now; we’re not going to fight anymore. Right, Sasuke?

Ignoring him, Sasuke turned to Sakura. “Sakura don’t bother. Just focus on Naruto; we already ended the Tsukuyomi. There’s no need to…

“Shut up, Sasuke!” Tears welled in her eyes and her voice was filled with anger. “Despite everything you’ve done, and everything you’ve said, you’re still our teammate. A member of Team 7. We are _not_ going to let you die.”

Sasuke was faced with the reality that this was not going to be the end for him, and that he was going to have to face his mistakes. He had consumed himself in hatred for so long; what really was there left for him besides that? Death would have been an escape, a way for him to avoid facing the people that loved him who he hurt so callously. But now, he didn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry.” That’s all he could say right now, maybe the only thing he could ever say. He didn’t want to cry, but it was futile to try not to. All the people he’s hurt…how could they ever still care about him? “Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto… I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“You should be sorry!” Sakura’s tears also flowed from eyes. They were tears of hurt and of anger, but also of relief. “I’m just glad you’re finally coming home.”

Home. That word meant nothing to Sasuke. He lost his home the night his family died. It definitely wasn’t with the Leaf village. He could never look up at those great stone faces of the Hokage and call that place a home. His home was with Itachi, but he was gone along with everything else. However, as he looked at Naruto smiling as he talked to Sakura and Kakashi, a small thought appeared in Sasuke’s mind. _Maybe it could be home, maybe if his face were up there too…maybe he could be home._ But he pushed it away as a ridiculous thought and sank back into a cloud of regret.

“You said that you ended the Infinite Tsukuyomi, didn’t you Sasuke?” Kakashi intently studied his former student, curious what he was going to do next.

Naruto piped up, evidently ignoring the fact Kakashi directed it towards Sasuke. “Yeah! We did…I think. We couldn’t tell. But we did exactly what Super Gramps Sage said to do!”

Kakashi paused and thought for a moment and then turned to Sakura. “Okay, I’m going to go ahead and head back to the battlefield, so I can see what’s going on. Sakura, you think you can handle these two? Sakura nodded firmly. Kakashi could not help but be apprehensive about Sasuke. After all, it had not been that long ago that Sasuke declared his intention to destroy the entire Leaf village, only to come back later and proclaim that he’ll be the next Hokage. However, studying Sasuke, Kakashi found him despondent; he saw the tears as Sasuke apologized. Maybe he really was remorseful. Regardless, both him and Naruto were seriously injured, so he doubted anything could actually happen while he was gone, and he was no use to Sakura’s efforts to heal them. Turning to the reunited former students of his, Kakashi gave them a final order to them as a team.

“Sakura, do what you can for Naruto and Sasuke. As soon as you’re able, meet up with me at the battlefield. If the Infinite Tsukuyomi did break, there is going to be a lot of confusion and explaining to do. And I’ll need to tell the Kage what’s happening with Sasuke. I imagine they’re not going to be as forgiving as you and Naruto, especially the Raikage. I don’t even know if they realized he had joined the battle.

“Sasuke helped save everyone! They’ll have to forgive him!”

“Not everyone is going to feel the way you do, Naruto. Sasuke has a lot to atone for. And we still don’t know what he plans to do next.” He then moved his gaze over to Sasuke, who seemed lost in his own thoughts. “Unless you want to tell us, Sasuke… so what is your dream now?”

“I…don’t know.” Sasuke stared morosely down at the ground, attempting to avoid eye contact with any one of them. He didn’t want to think about the future right now.

Kakashi sighed and turned his gaze away from Sasuke. There was no use prodding him right now for answers. He would have to wait to get an answer, but Kakashi was determined to get one from Sasuke. “Keep them alive, Sakura. I’m counting on you.”

“I won’t let you down, Kakashi-sensei.”

Smiling underneath his mask, Kakashi waved goodbye to his three former students. Their paths, for better or worse, all led them here, and he wondered where their paths would continue to lead. Everything about the future was uncertain, but uncharacteristically of Kakashi, he somehow had a good feeling about it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Leaf Shinobi wake up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Meanwhile…. miles away, those trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi were waking up; the seal had worked. One by one, the strange cloth-like wrappings of the Divine Tree fell away, dumping their human contents unceremoniously onto the ground. Considering all that the survivors had been through at this point, falling onto the ground like that was a picnic. Groggily, they rubbed their eyes, stretched their limbs and surveyed the ruin of the battlefield that lay out before them. Ruined as it was, it was still a scene of peace; daybreak had finally come, shining a hopeful light on the survivors.

“What…happened?” Shikamaru stretched his neck and while scanning his surroundings, he spotted Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Choji, Ino, and Sai looking just as confused and disoriented as he was along with a number of Allied shinobi.

“I was dreaming…a really good dream. I was Hokage, and everyone had a dog.” Kiba smiled for a moment, remembering his dream fondly but quickly snapped back to reality. He looked up at the shrinking limbs of the Divine Tree and the empty shells of the cocoons they had been kept in. “Yeah, what did happen?!”

“You were dreaming, too? Were we all dreaming?” Ino stared around confusedly, just like everyone else. “What the hell was all that?”

Shino gave a reply, stating matter-of-factly, “That must have been the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The enemy successfully cast it.”

“Then how did we get out? Seems to have lasted a lot shorter than you’d expect from something described as ‘infinite’. Kiba scratched his head, looking around for clues as to why it ended. Akamaru panted contentedly at his side, having been freed as well from the jutsu. Failing to find any clues, Kiba wondered to himself what a dog would have dreamt about.

Hinata shouted excitedly as she came up with an answer. “I know! It must have been Naruto! He’s not here, is he? I saw him fly by with the Kazekage and Sakura, but he looked hurt. He must have recovered and stopped the jutsu!”

“I can’t find him by his scent, so he’s nowhere near the battlefield.”

“And my Byakugan can’t find him, either. Do you think he’s okay?”

“Of course he’s okay!” Choji gave everyone a reassuring smile. “He saved us, didn’t he? So he’s gotta be okay! It’s Naruto, after all.”

Shikamaru smirked and replied, “Yeah you’re right. That guy always ends up coming through, somehow. But I guess we’ll have to wait for answers right now. We should focus on gathering everyone back together. We really don’t know if it’s all over, so we should stay on guard.

“You’re such a pessimist, Shikamaru. It has _got_ to be over.” Despite his complaint, Kiba began sniffing around, trying to find familiar scents. “Anyway, I can smell Guy-sensei and his team as well as the Kazekage that way. The other Kage seem to be in the other direction. There’s also some scents I can’t recognize that well; I have no idea who they are, and they don’t smell like members of the Allied Forces.”

“I guess we’ll have to worry about who those people are later. We should focus on rendezvousing with everyone.” Shikamaru turned to Ino. “Ino, can you try sending a message to everyone else you can sense in the area to meet up with us over where Guy-sensei’s team is?

“On it.”

_Guy-sensei’s team…_

Thinking this, Hinata remembered something awful. “Neji.” Now that the adrenaline of the battle had waned, she finally felt the full emotional impact of Neji’s death. She collapsed to her knees and wept. Struggling to form words, “N-Neji. I almost forgot…I almost forget that he…that he…” The truth seemed too much to bear. In her dream, Neji was still alive; she could still remember his serene, smiling face in her dream as if it was a moment ago. But here in grim reality, he was dead. Neji had been family, perhaps the only family Hinata felt like she could trust, and now he was gone. She felt numb.

Choji laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Hinata.” Her other friends somberly gave their condolences. Together they stood in silence, thinking about the sheer amount of death they were surrounded by. Over a thousand shinobi must have rushed to aid Naruto on the battlefield, and now there seemed to be less than a hundred left. Hinata stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was not the only one who lost family. Just looking at the faces of Ino and Shikamaru, she could tell that they were remembering who they lost as well. Inside, everyone knew that today was not going to be end of all their tears. However, it was the beginning of the end at least.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochimaru and gang wake up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, only to be confronted by the Kage.

While the shinobi from the Leaf gathered and recovered from their ordeal, a separate group were also waking up from the Tsukuyomi. Orochimaru and his former lackeys/test subjects Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo and Kabuto found themselves similarly disoriented.

“Woah. What just happened? Could have sworn I was somewhere else just now. And why I do I feel so stiff?” Suigetsu was vigorously stretching and shaking himself.

Kabuto studied the scene around him, finding Karin, Juugo and Orochimaru in a similar state as Orochimaru. He cracked his neck and said plainly “The Infinite Tsukuyomi. Madara must have succeeded in his plan.”

“The Infinite Tsuku-what?”

“An immensely powerful genjutsu that puts the entire world into a permanent dreaming state.”

“Dreams? Ah that must explain it. Seemed so real though, like I had really managed to rebuild the Swordsmen of the Mist.” Saying this, he then turned to Karin with a sly grin. “What were you dreaming about Karin? Probably something dirty about Sasuke, am I right?

With rage dispelling her confusion, Karin shouted angrily in response. “Shut UP Suigetsu! I was actually dreaming about pounding you in the dirt, you idiot!”

“Jeez, relax. Just trying to lighten the mood you know?” Suigetsu said trying to dodge some retaliatory punches from Karin.

“Speaking of Sasuke, where is he? And how did we even break free of the genjutsu?” Juugo had spent the last several moments trying to figure those two things out, and he looked intently around him for any signs of Sasuke.

Orochimaru finally spoke, having taken longer than usual to recover. He did not like being under genjutsu as it reminded him of his failed attempt to take Itachi’s body. He smiled poisonously to himself as he spoke. “I suspect those two questions are related. Our dear Sasuke must have found a way to break that cursed genjutsu and stop Madara. I can think of no other explanation as to why such a powerful jutsu as that was broken.”

“Of course it was Sasuke! Nobody else could have! He definitely kicked Madara’s butt into oblivion and probably looked really sexy doing it!” Karin smiled and blushed to herself, remembering the tender dream she had under the Infinite Tsukuyomi”.

“Sure, sure, whatever you say, Karin.” Suigetsu looked around him, pondering his next move. “So…what do we now?”

Orochimaru responded quickly and turned on his heel to leave, beckoning the others to join him. “We should leave this area and quickly. We do not want to be…”

Orochimaru was interrupted by a loud, very angry voice coming from behind them. It seems it was too late to avoid the exact thing he was hoping to avoid.

“OROCHIMARU!”

The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, strolled angrily towards them. Behind her flanked the Mizukage, Raikage and Tsuchikage, and other Allied shinobi forces followed in their trail. She must have spotted them while waking up; they were not far from where Tsunade awoke.

“Just where do you think you’re going? You don’t honestly expect me to just let you walk away like that?” She and the other Kage must have realized quickly what had happened and turned their attention to Orochimaru’s presence.

Seemingly unconcerned, Orochimaru smiled. The rest of his group stared silently at the Kage, anxious to what the next moments may bring. “Ah, Tsunade. How was your dreaming? I hope you had a good rest. Have you already forgotten how I saved you and the other Kage’s lives? Or how I reanimated the former Hokage to aid you? My business here is done, so I was hoping to take my well-earned leave.”

“Save it, Orochimaru. You’re not getting off that easy. Saving our lives does not mean we will just let you continue doing whatever you want. Surrender, and maybe we can find mercy for you. I may be exhausted, but I think I can find the energy to pound you into dust if necessary.

Orochimaru laughed a smug and cruel laugh. It was obvious he had no intention of fighting. “Forceful as always, Tsunade. Until next we meet. I would be quite disappointed if we could not reunite like this again.” Orochimaru and grinned and his body melted into a massive pile of tiny snakes that scattered in every direction, each slithering with surprising speed. Tsunade and her entourage attempted to catch the snakes, but all of them poofed when grabbed like when a clone was destroyed. The rest managed to get away, one of them being the real Orochimaru. Tsunade cursed.

“Damn it!” Tsunade didn’t want to waste this chance to finally bring her former teammate to justice, but he still slipped through her fingers. The Raikage told her to let it go and that he was not their biggest concern at the moment. He was right, of course, but she could still feel the rage in her chest. Sighing, she noticed the four lackeys Orochimaru had left behind. They seemed just as shocked as Tsunade was.

“I can’t believe he ditched us! He completely just ditched us! Suigetsu weighed fleeing like Orochimaru but seeing as he didn’t possess the power to turn himself into little snakes, decided against it. Fighting was no use. These were the Kage. Even exhausted, they could destroy him with no effort at all.

Kabuto laughed. “What did you expect? It’s Orochimaru after all. Our lives mean nothing to him.”

The Tsuchikage regarded the four of them closely. “So, these are Orochimaru’s lackeys?

“Lackeys?! Oh no no… we were forced to serve him, or he’d kill us!

Karin, joining in on Suigetsu’s excuse, added, “Yes! We had to or he’d use us for experiments! It was so awful!” She was really hoping that her acting abilities would save them from certain execution.

“Hmph. A likely story”. Tsunade scanned the four of them; she recognized Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo from when they and Orochimaru rescued Tsunade and the other Kage. The other seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She saw a man with gray mottled skin and a snake-tail, assuming it was another experiment of Orochimaru. However, when she looked at his face, she saw a familiar looking pair of glasses and exclaimed.

“Kabuto Yakushi? Is that…you?

“Indeed it is, Lady Tsunade.”

“What the hell happened to you?”

“When Sasuke killed Orochimaru, I implanted his cells into myself… and _this_ is the result”. He gestured to his monstrous half-human form. Without taking a pause, Kabuto continued. “Lady Tsunade…there is something you should know. The person behind the Reanimation Jutsu…was me. I had joined forces with Madara. The reanimated Itachi Uchiha somehow broke free of my control and stopped me.” He said all this without a hint of emotion with not a trace of fear, pride or even guilt. “I thought you should know these things before you decide to pass judgement on me. Though if you decide to spare me…I will gladly assist you in hunting Orochimaru. I was after all his most trusted lieutenant and know almost all his secrets.

Seeing an opportunity, Suigetsu quickly added. “We could help you hunt Orochimaru too! It’s not like we have any loyalty to him; he was forcing us to help him!”

Tsunade looked at Kabuto suspiciously. “Why would we ever trust you?”

Kabuto smiled slightly. “You have no reason to. By all accounts, I should be executed. However, I no longer serve or wish to serve Orochimaru. Itachi Uchiha opened my eyes, so now I simply wish to see where my path would lead and to find out exactly who Kabuto Yakushi is.”

The Kage could feel rage boiling inside of them, that the person who had profaned the dead so much and caused so much death was right in front of them. Suigetsu and Karin half-expected them to kill Kabuto right there on the spot, but before anyone else could speak, the Lady Mizukage suggested, “If they are willing to surrender, perhaps we should just hold them in custody for now and if they are truly willing to help us catch Orochimaru, I think we should wait and see what they can do for us.”

Suigetsu had never wanted to kiss a woman as bad as he wanted to kiss the Mizukage right now.

“I’m inclined to agree with you, Mizukage. But what do you think?” Tsunade had turned to the Tsuchikage and Raikage, who were also assessing the situation.

The Raikage bristled. “They may be dangerous, but as long as we keep a close watch on them, I am fine with it. They will face justice soon enough.” The Tsuchikage gave his agreement as well, mirroring what the Raikage said.

“It’s decided then. We’ll take the four of them into custody and when we return to the village, we’ll see what we can get from them, in terms of intel.” Tsunade barked orders at some of the shinobi behind her to take them into custody. “If any one of you tries anything, I’ll personally take the liberty of punching you into oblivion, got it?” None of them protested.

Having been silent the whole time, Juugo asked a question. “Have any of you seen Sasuke?” Throughout this, the only thing he was concerned about was Sasuke. He had to keep his promise to Kimimaro.

“Sasuke?” The Kage didn’t even know Sasuke had been present during the battle.

“Sasuke was here during the battle; he’s likely the one who ended the Tsukuyomi. I thought you may have known where he was.”

Tsunade frowned. Sasuke was the last headache she needed at the moment. “No, we have not heard anything about Sasuke. We didn’t even know he was here.”

Meanwhile, the Raikage was brimming with fury at the mention of his name. He had not forgotten how we attacked the Summit and his little brother. The Raikage announced, “If Sasuke is here, he will be brought to justice. I promise all of you that.”

“Lord Raikage, we will handle Sasuke later. Right now, we should just keep moving and look for other survivors.” If Sasuke was still alive, and if he _did_ end the Tsukuyomi, Tsunade had little idea of what may happen. She doubted he would surrender. And Naruto… Tsunade shook her head and decided she would cross that bridge when it was time, but eventually she would have to cross it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The survivors of the war rendezvous and discuss what happens next.

Within hours of waking up, the survivors of the 4th Great Ninja War’s final battle had gathered. As they gathered, the survivors saw little more than half of their number had survived. The air was thick with mourning and cautious hope. No one had known what actually happened quite yet. The Kage surmised it had something to do with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, but the two were nowhere in sight. Noticeably, the other members of the original Team 7, Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake, were also missing. Kakashi had last been spotted with Might Guy fighting Madara before the Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast. Sakura had been seen with the Kazekage flying over the battlefield with a seemingly critically injured Naruto, last being seen at Kakashi’s location as well. Gaara and Rock Lee had confirmed that they had been the last to see the four of them, including Sasuke, who had also turned up. It was after this that the sky had turned incredibly bright and all fell into dreams meant to be permanent. Notably, they also noticed nine large moon-like floating objects in the area; the Kage surmised that these must be the nine Tailed Beasts, who all must have been sealed, but they had no idea who sealed them. The reanimated Hokage were also gone, which judging by the paper-like remains that were left behind, having been freed from the jutsu. The most important thing they found was the corpse of Madara Uchiha, whose cause of death seemed to be completely unknown. In the end, they were left with more questions than answers and they came to a decision to see if one of the members of Team 7 would return. They thought that one of them must know more. However, they were still left with anxiety as to the outcome. What if Sasuke was the sole one to return? He had came to the battlefield suddenly, declaring his intentions to be Hokage and to “reform” the Leaf village. At this point, all of the Kage still considered him an enemy. And if what Orochimaru’s lackeys told them while being questioned was true, Sasuke had gained the Rinnegan in his left eye, which made him all the more dangerous and unpredictable. Shaking off their worry, the Kage ordered the remaining Allied forces to tend to the wounded, recover the fallen, and await Team 7. They set up a makeshift camp using what supplies they had left with them to set up cots for the wounded, and so their anxious wait for news began.

Kakashi had set off ahead of the others to survey the situation at the battlefield, and he ran as fast as he could. It had felt like a lifetime since he had last rest, but he pressed on regardless. If Naruto and Sasuke _had_ ended the Infinite Tsukuyomi, then the nightmare of the 4th Great Ninja War would be over. By the time Kakashi arrived at the battlefield, it was sunset and the sight of the Allied Shinobi forces awake, illuminated by the red and orange hue of the sunset seemed like a painting to him. He quickly made his way through the crowd, ignoring excited exclamations and heading straight to where the Five Kage were. Upon seeing Kakashi, the Five Kage greeted him with joy and eagerness to hear what had occurred while they dreamed. Taking a deep breath, Kakashi began to explain the long story; Madara casting the jutsu, the treachery of Black Zetsu, the appearance of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke and how they ended the jutsu.

“..Kaguya Ōtsutsuki? That can’t be possible…” The Tsuchikage Ōnoki had seen _many_ things in his long life, but this had to be the most unbelievable story he had ever heard. Kaguya, the Goddess of Destruction from legend, had made an appearance and was subsequently defeated by a pair of teenagers? _Ridiculous… “_ It must have been some trick of Madara or that Zetsu character…”

“I wouldn’t have believed it either myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes”

“Speaking of which, Kakashi, your eye…” Tsunade noticed quickly that Kakashi’s left eye no longer possessed the Sharingan that he was notorious for.

“Oh yeah…that was Naruto’s doing.”

“Naruto? How on earth did he do that? Actually wait, I really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.” Tsunade gave a hearty chuckle. “You just never know what to expect from that kid.”

Talking about his eye, Kakashi was reminded of something. “Lady Tsunade, have you seen Guy? Is he still alive?”

Tsunade nodded and replied, “Yes, he was seriously wounded and there’s going to be permanent damage…but he’s stable. I still can’t believe he opened the Eighth Gate and survived.”

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to have not lost another friend.

Returning to the topic of Kaguya and Kakashi’s story, the Mizukage Mei Terumi spoke, “Though I have my doubts, I believe Kakashi’s story. Regardless, whether his story is true or not, it does seem that the war has come to an end.” 

“I agree. But where are Naruto and Sasuke now? Did they not come with you?” Gaara spoke out of a deep concern; he had almost lost his friend once and did not want to do so again.

“Naruto and Sasuke were both seriously injured after their confrontation. I left Sakura with them to treat them with her medical ninjutsu.”

“Hmm. So Sasuke is still alive as well”, said the Raikage. “You had said in your story Sasuke intended to kill all us Kage and make himself Hokage. He is also the one responsible for sealing the Tailed Beasts. So tell me Kakashi, what does Sasuke intend now?” The Raikage continued, “He is a dangerous criminal. Was it really wise to have kept him alive?”

“I…do not know what Sasuke intends now. But I do not believe he is a danger. With all due respect, we could not just let him die.”

Tsunade joined the discussion; she had been thinking about what to do with Sasuke for quite a while while they waited. “Let the Hidden Leaf deal with Sasuke, Lord Raikage. As a former Leaf shinobi, he is our responsibility.”

“Lady Tsunade do not take this the wrong way, but the Leaf has a history of being too lenient with its criminals. Just look at Orochimaru. Furthermore, Sasuke’s crimes not only threatened the Leaf, but all the Great Nations. What if he becomes the next Madara Uchiha?

“Are you saying we should just execute him?” Kakashi stared at the Raikage. Naruto would never allow that and neither would Sakura. And Kakashi would not allow that either. “When we came across Naruto and Sasuke, Sasuke seemed defeated. Remorseful, even. I do not think he intends any more harm.”

Ōnoki, cautious as ever, added, “What if that is just a ploy? He may seem defeated now, but what if he intends to bide his time, and attack again when we least expect it? I agree with the Raikage; Sasuke is dangerous.”

Gaara retorted, I think we should wait to see what Sasuke has to say for himself before coming to any decision. If he chooses to surrender, I do not think it would be right to execute him.” Gaara was thinking of Naruto; Sasuke was walking the same path Gaara did years ago. There was no doubt in Gaara’s mind that Naruto could steer Sasuke towards the path of light and away from darkness.

The Mizukage added, “I happen to agree with the Kazekage. I am curious to hear what Sasuke has to say. And if he is wounded like Kakashi says, he will pose little threat if we question him”.

Insistent, Kakashi continued, “Sasuke is no threat right now, I assure you. If he tries something, he would not be able to defeat all of us, including Naruto and Sakura. Naruto was more than a match for him in battle. We have nothing to worry about by just letting him speak.”

Tsunade, with the support of the Kazekage and Mizukage, outnumbered the two dissenters. The Raikage relented reluctantly. “Very well. But do not think we will simply let him walk free. He is still far too dangerous and unpredictable.”

“I have no intention of letting Sasuke walk free,” Tsunade reassured the Raikage. _Naruto would definitely disagree though,_ she thought.

“Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura should not be too far behind. I told them to follow me as soon as they were able to move.”

With that, the Kage and the Allied Forces continued waiting. Kakashi’s relaying of what happened spread quickly throughout the group of surviving shinobi. The mood turned to one of relief and happiness; it was actually over. Unlike the Kage, most seemed unconcerned with the possible threat of Sasuke; they were solely focused on their savior. Naruto had done it again, saving not just the Leaf but the entire world. Anxiously, they awaited the return of their hero, Naruto Uzumaki.

While waiting for the other members of Team 7 to arrive, Kakashi looked for Guy. Though Tsunade insisted that he was going to be okay, Kakashi still worried. He found Guy lying on a makeshift bed set up by the medical corps. He was surrounded by his two students, Lee and Tenten. Lee’s face was red and puffy from crying. Tenten was the first to spot Kakashi, shouting to greet him excitedly.

“Kakashi-sensei, you’re back! We heard the news; is it really true that Naruto and Sasuke ended the Infinite Tsukuyomi? And that they’re coming back?”

“Yes, that’s all true. How is Guy?”

“Lady Tsunade insisted that he’ll be fine, but that won’t stop Lee from worrying himself to death.”

“But what if Lady Tsunade is wrong? I just could not stand to bear it! He opened the 8th Gate of Death! Oh, Guy-sensei please come back to us!”

“Lee, you literally spoke to him an hour ago when he was awake. He’s going to be fine!”

Kakashi turned to Guy who seemed to be sleeping rather peacefully and then back to Tenten. “Is he awake right now?”

“You can try waking him up. I’m sure he’d want to talk to you Kakashi-sensei.”

Kakashi kneeled beside Guy, and gently whispered his name a couple times. Just as he was about to give up, he heard Guy’s weak voice.

“Kakashi? Is that you?”

“Guy! How are you doing?”

“Kakashi… I’m afraid I won’t be able to be your Eternal Rival anymore. Lady Tsunade said that I likely won’t be able to use my legs anymore.” Guy looked fairly dejected; a uncommon sight to Kakashi.

“You’re always going to be my rival, Guy. This just means we may have to stick to rock-paper-scissors contests for the future.”

Guy managed a weak laugh and Kakashi continued, “Guy… thank you. Without you, we would never have been able to save Naruto. You were ready to give your life for your comrades and you very well almost did.

“It’s not like you to be so sentimental, Kakashi.”

“I’m just happy that I didn’t lose another friend today. I don’t think there’s anyone who’s been a better friend to me than you Guy” Under his mask, Kakashi grinned. “Even when I didn’t exactly deserve it.”

“Hah! You always deserved it, Kakashi. I knew under that mask beamed a face full of the power of Youth! That’s why you had to be my Eternal Rival.”

Both men laughed and reminisced on the myriad number of arbitrary contests they competed against each other in. Rivalry. That word meant something entirely different to them. To them, eternal rivalry meant eternal friendship and love.

Before leaving to wait with the Kage for Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, Kakashi noticed that Tenten was excitedly pawing and studying two large objects, one a gourd and the other a large pot. Curious, Kakashi asked what they were and Tenten replied, “Oh those are two of the Sage of Six Path’s famous ninja tools! Apparently there were a bunch of Cloud ninja trapped in the gourd; one of the guys from the Cloud helped me get them out. What was his name again? Damui? Darui? All those cloud ninja have really similar names!” Tenten laughed awkwardly, “They fell from the sky and landed on me as I was trying to get to Guy-sensei and the Cloud let me keep them! I’m still looking for this crazy powerful fan though. It was so cool! You wouldn’t have happened to see it, huh Kakashi sensei?”

Kakashi sadly informed Tenten that he had no idea of where a fan like that was. He did tell her to be careful with them as the gourd must have been what sealed the Gold and Silver Brothers and their Nine-Tails chakra and how Obito was able to become the Ten-Tails jinchuriki without subduing the actual Nine-Tails. Afterwards, he bid Tenten, Lee and Guy farewell to wait with the Kage.

Hours into their wait as they were well into nightfall, Kiba was doggedly running around asking about people’s Infinite Tsukuyomi dreams. He just thought they were really interesting, and he wanted to tell anybody who’d listen about how he had been Hokage, as if to prove that he really could be Hokage. Everyone seemed to be reluctant to share their dream however. Asking Hinata, she turned as red as a tomato, nervously saying that she didn’t remember anything. He was talking animatedly with Sai, one of the few who actually wanted to share, when he got a whiff of a familiar scent. It was one he’d know anywhere, since it almost always somehow ended up being mixed with the smell of miso. Naruto. Excitedly, he started telling everyone around him that he could catch Naruto’s scent.

Checking with her Byakugan, Hinata breathlessly confirmed that they were almost here. “I can see them! It’s Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke! They’re coming from that direction! Hinata pointed to the east, and with Kiba, Sai and several others went around sharing the news with those who had been awake, and waking up the rest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura return to the camp of the surviving Allied Shinobi.

As they made their slow journey back to the battlefield, having left a couple hours after Kakashi once Sakura was sure Naruto and Sasuke could move safely, Sasuke barely said a word. Naruto and Sakura talked animatedly, saying what they would do when they returned home. Obviously, Naruto wanted a meal at Ichiraku. Sakura was looking forward to being able to take a hot bath and sleep in an actual bed again. Naruto had asked Sasuke what he wanted to do when he got home, and received silence followed by a soft “I don’t know”. Sasuke didn’t know what he wanted; he didn’t even know what was going to happen to him next. He doubted that the Kage would just forgive him; there was a serious possibility that they would just want to have him executed. To Sasuke, execution did not even seem the worst outcome. Sasuke had no fear of dying at this point; by all accounts, he _should_ be dead. But Naruto and Sakura, much to Sasuke’s chagrin, would never let that happen. Kakashi was probably arguing his case for leniency towards Sasuke to the Kage. After thinking in sullen silence during their trek back, Sasuke’s life did not seem important, however there was _one_ thing he wanted. He wanted to redeem Itachi’s name.

Naruto itched to return and kept asking if the three of them could pick up the pace. Sakura refused him, saying that they should be careful not to make their injuries worse. He desperately wanted to see the rest of his friends, but most of all he was excited he was going to be able to return to the village with Sasuke. Everyone had doubted that he could do it, and he was delighted with the prospect of being able to show, yet again, that he was able to do the impossible. Naruto had been used to doubt from others; it followed him all his life and it was hard to find a greater joy for him than in erasing those doubts. He _was_ going to save Sasuke from himself and one day, he _was_ going to become Hokage. However, the idea that the Kage would punish Sasuke did not register in Naruto’s mind. Without Sasuke, Naruto could never have ended the Infinite Tsukuyomi. To Naruto, that had to be enough to prove Sasuke deserved redemption.

While on their journey, Sakura could not help but steal glances at Sasuke. Looking at him, she felt a flurry of emotions, all of them tinged by hurt. She remembered the words he had said to her before incapacitating her with a genjutsu: “I have no reason to love you and you have no reason to love me.” Those words were cruel, but deep in Sakura’s heart, she knew they were true. Why did she love Sasuke? Was it ever more than some schoolgirl crush? She wanted to hate him. Of all the people hurt by his cruelty, Sakura was perhaps the most hurt of them all. She begged and pleaded, and her feelings were only ever returned with cruelty. He was right; she had no reason to love him and every reason to hate him. But looking at him now, Sakura could tell something had changed within him. Now, He looked…broken. His eyes had no fire in them, no malice; she saw only pain and dejectedness. All along, part of Sakura knew that it was never going to be her that could rescue, save, or heal Sasuke. It was only ever going to be Naruto. Maybe one day she and Sasuke could be close friends, but for now, she had no idea who Sasuke is. She had always walked behind him, but now it was time to walk beside him and Naruto, and see what path lie ahead for herself, instead of just trying to follow in vain where Sasuke’s was going.

Having heard Kiba and Hinata’s frantic announcement, everyone in the group of surviving shinobi waited with bated breath for Team 7’s return. As they spotted the three figures of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, they erupted with cheers and celebrations. Naruto attempted to rush ahead to greet everyone but Sakura held him back. “Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed? You’re still injured! Don’t run anywhere, you idiot! You can’t wait just a couple more seconds to walk, and not run?” Unsurprisingly, Sasuke was in no rush to greet anyone. Naruto sheepishly slowed his pace to an only somewhat leisurely pace as his other friends ran to greet him, who immediately bombarded him with questions and exclamations of relief.

“What happened? Are you okay?

“Your arm? What happened to your arm?”

“You did it! Of course you did!”

“Naruto, I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Is Sasuke coming back to the village?”

“Did you actually fight a goddess?!”

While Sakura and Sasuke hung back, Naruto excitedly attempted to answer every question he could. Surrounded by friends and being acknowledged like this, it made him forget all the pain he had endured and was enduring. He was so happy that it was over. Sasuke felt the opposite way. He watched intently as Naruto was greeted with joy and relief. Already, he could see those that had glanced towards him regard him with fear and suspicion. Yet again, he was reminded of how different Naruto was from him. Naruto had cast aside hatred; Sasuke had not. Naruto had a future and Sasuke did not. Sasuke breathed deeply and began contemplating his next move; if by some stroke of luck, whether it was good or bad luck, Sasuke did end up having a future, he would need to think about what it would entail. Deep in his thoughts, he was interrupted by Naruto who in the midst of his spirited reunions had remembered the Tailed Beasts that were still suspended in the air and sealed.

Smiling awkwardly, Naruto walked back to where Sasuke was. “Hey… uh Sasuke? Can you free all the Tailed Beasts now? I know they’ll probably be super angry, but I can calm them down after you free them, don’t worry!”

 **“** Oh. Yes.” Sasuke said flatly. He really wasn’t concerned at all with what the Beasts would do once freed. Sasuke released the jutsu that had been sealing them, neglecting to warn the Allied shinobi sending them scattering as both rubble and Beast crashed into the ground. The Tailed Beasts roared and groaned as they stretched their massive bodies after regaining their freedom.

“Well, that was certainly unpleasant.” The Four-Tails, Son Gokū regarded his surroundings, noticing the shinobi all around him. Naruto quickly rushed up to the group of beasts, hailing them as loud as he could.

“Hey guys! We did it! You’re free now!”

The other half of Kurama not inside Naruto asked, “What happened, Naruto? Did you take care of Sasuke?

Shukaku, the One-Tail, in his usual boastful manner, “Yeah, where is that emo kid with the creepy eye? I want to pound him into dust myself!”

“It’s okay guys. I helped Sasuke change his mind. It’s cool now.”

Looking around, the nine Tailed Beasts caught sight of Sasuke, who had been making no effort at all to avoid being spotted. Their anger was almost palpable. Naruto quickly noticed and assured them, “It’s over now, I’m sure Sasuke is really sorry about sealing you!” In actuality, Sasuke really was not that sorry. Naruto continued assuaging them with the assistance of both halves of Kurama, who helped convince them to stand down for time being. Now, if only the Kage could be that easily convinced…

Kakashi had worked his way through the throng of people surrounding Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura and walked towards them purposely. The Kage already knew that the three of them had arrived.

“I’m glad to see you three made it. The Kage want to see you the three of you.” Really, the Kage mostly want to see Sasuke, but Kakashi doubted Sakura and Naruto would let Sasuke face them alone. Naruto asked the Tailed Beasts and the rest of his comrades to wait for him, and then the three of them followed Kakashi to the eagerly waiting Kage.

The Kage waited patiently from the other side of the temporary battlefield camp as Kakashi brought them to the Kage. Kakashi then quietly stepped to the side, intending to merely observe. Tsunade was the first to greet them.

“Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. I am glad to see you made it here safely.

“Yes, I am very happy all of you yet live,” Gaara added in his normally somewhat formal manner. “We should thank you; we owe this victory to all of you, including Kakashi. It would not have been possible otherwise.”

Sasuke could tell the other three Kage were looking at him with suspicion. He had already figured where this was likely going to end up going. Sakura had noticed it too, making her nervous.

Naruto grinned awkwardly, “Aw thanks! You guys probably want to hear what happened out there, right?”

The Raikage stepped in, “No need, Kakashi has already filled us in.” The Raikage paused, and then continued, “The main reason we need to speak with you three is… concerning Sasuke.”

Sasuke made no reaction; he had been expecting this. Naruto then responded, “What about him? I couldn’t have ended the Tsukuyomi without him.” He really didn’t get that the Kage were deeply suspicious of Sasuke.

Ignoring Naruto for the time being, the Raikage addressed Sasuke directly, “Sasuke Uchiha, you are a known criminal and terrorist. You attacked the Five Kage Summit and threatened to murder the five Kage and betrayed your own village. So what do you have to say for yourself now?

Not leaving Sasuke anytime to respond, Naruto immediately butted in, “You can’t be serious! Sasuke helped save you, and now you just want to write him off as a criminal?!”

“Naruto.” Tsunade had expected this reaction from him. “Sasuke murdered Danzo, a high-ranking elder of the Leaf village, as well as his committed crimes against all five of the Great Nations. That is not something we can just overlook.”

“But Granny Tsunade he…”

Sasuke interrupted Naruto in the middle of his plea. “I can speak for myself, Naruto.”

Sakura watched as Sasuke stepped forward to face the Kage. His face and body showed no sign of fear or apprehension. _What are you going to do, Sasuke?_

Making direct eye contact with Tsunade, Sasuke stated, “Danzo deserved to die. He was responsible for my clan’s murder. I only attacked the Summit to get to him.”

Tsunade furrowed her brow in confusion “Danzo was responsible for the Uchiha Massacre? How is that possible?”

“Danzo ordered my brother Itachi to slaughter the Uchiha and he did so with the approval of the other elders…and the Third Hokage. The entire Leaf village is responsible for the deaths of my family and clan!” Sasuke could feel the all-too familiar mix of anger and hatred rising in his throat as he said this.

“That…can’t be right! Old Man Third would never allow something like that. Never!

“He did, Naruto. I spoke to his reanimation and he confirmed it himself.”

Interrupting their exchange, the Raikage shouted, “You dare try to justify your actions?! How do you justify attacking my younger brother, B, and joining the Akatsuki? You cannot justify that, even if those things are true!”

Sasuke looked down for a moment and the back at the Kage. “I acknowledge that I have made mistakes and I… regret my actions. I admit that there is no justification for many of my actions. Perhaps I am just a criminal and a traitor and deserve little else than a traitor’s death It would be no less than I deserve.”

Naruto stared at Sasuke in disbelief. “Sasuke…”

“So I will surrender myself into your custody. I know that I have lost.” Sasuke said this without a hint of emotion. He was prepared for execution, or whatever else they had in store for him.

The Tsuchikage regarded Sasuke with extreme suspicion. “Why should we believe anything you have to say? You allied with Madara Uchiha and betrayed him when it was convenient. If we believe your regret, then how do we know that this is not some ploy which you will use to try and destroy us later?

Sasuke replied simply, “You don’t know. I could easily just be waiting to attack until I’m at full strength again”

Naruto and Sakura stared at him, shocked. Why wasn’t he defending himself? When Sakura found him, his regret seemed so believable but now it came off as cold and empty. Was he really going to give up like this?

“Sasuke! Tell them that you would never do that stuff! What are you doing?”

“This doesn’t involve you, Naruto.”

“Like hell it doesn’t! I’m not going to let you stand by and let yourself be executed or thrown in jail forever like that! I won’t let that happen!

Gaara spoke softly, “That is not up to you, Naruto. Sasuke must face the consequences of his actions”.

“If anyone wants to hurt Sasuke, they’ll have to go through me!”

Sasuke was once again left confused by Naruto’s actions. Why is he willing to go this far just for his sake? Why would he defy the Kage like that? Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised; there’s no reason why Naruto would abandon him now. He just couldn’t understand…why.

Sakura piped in too, “Yeah and that includes me too!”

_Why her too? She has even less reason than Naruto. Were they both idiots?_

At last, the Mizukage spoke, having observed all the exchanges intently and with some annoyance. “Enough! I think we should let this matter rest for now. I think we should shift our focus to returning home instead of passing judgment on Sasuke currently. If Sasuke is willing to surrender himself into our custody, we can deal with this later, can’t we? We are all very tired.

Gaara seized on the opportunity to prevent the situation from escalating. “I agree. We can return to this later after we have all returned home when we have clearer minds and more information. If Sasuke wishes to provide justification for some of his actions, let him prove it.

“Sasuke may try to escape before that time comes…”

Tsunade addressed the others, seeing a possible remedy to the Raikage’s concern. “If Sasuke is willing to surrender, we can imprison him and seal his Rinnegan and Sharingan until we can pass judgment. He will be no danger…so long as you are still willing to give yourself up, Sasuke.”

Sasuke thought for a moment, having gauged the Hokage’s reaction to his claim about Danzo, and said, “Yes, I am. On one condition.”

The Raikage fumed, “You are in no position to make demands!”

“It is more of a request. Lady Hokage, if you will help me clear Itachi’s name and prove that he was no traitor, I will gladly surrender to whatever bindings are necessary. My brother died still trying to protect the village that ordered him to kill his own family…and I want the village to know that.

Danzo was a snake, and Tsunade would not put something like that past him. And it always struck her as strange that a shinobi like Itachi Uchiha would suddenly murder his whole clan with seemingly no reason. While she doubted Sarutobi-sensei would ever tacitly approve such an action; she would not be surprised if the other two elders kept this hidden from her. They were always far too comfortable letting Danzo have free reign with the Foundation. Tsunade’s curiosity got the better of her, and she hesitantly agreed much to some of the other Kage’s annoyance.

“I will not promise anything, but I suppose it is something worth looking into.”

For the first time, Sasuke felt a small glimmer of hope in his mind. When he had told the Kage about Itachi, he had expected the Hokage to outright deny it, but instead she seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. The only thing he felt like living for at this moment was to clear Itachi’s name, and he felt like he might now have an opportunity to do that, which is why he made that request.

The Mizukage smiled, relieved for this temporary solution. “That settles it. Let us begin the journey home. We can decide on what to do next from there.”

The other Kage murmured agreement, some more reluctant than others, but everyone could agree that everyone desperately needed to just finally return home now that the 4th Great Ninja War has concluded.

The Raikage ordered some of his men to bind Sasuke’s hands and for the Sealing Corps to seal Sasuke’s eyes. Worriedly, Naruto turned to Sasuke, “Are you sure about this?” Naruto was worried they might lock Sasuke away forever and he’d never see him again.

“It really shouldn’t be any of your concern, Naruto.”

“Well, it is! I don’t want to lose you again so fast!”

Sakura added to Naruto’s concern, “You’re still our friend, Sasuke. We want to look out for you.”

_Again. Why bother?_

Kakashi stepped in, having observed the whole situation quietly. “Lord Raikage, let me handle Sasuke for now. I know his abilities well, and I’ll be able to stop him if he tries anything.”

“Very well. Ensure that he makes it to the Leaf village. We can have him held there, if it makes those two happy,”

“That’s an excellent idea.” The Raikage’s statement gave Tsunade some relief. At least she would be able to keep Sasuke close for Naruto’s sake.

“Thank you, Lord Raikage.” Kakashi watched as Sasuke’s hands were bound and a blindfold marked with a sealing jutsu was applied to Sasuke. It would end up being days before he was able to finally see again. Addressing Naruto and Sakura as well as Sasuke, Kakashi said, “I won’t let anything bad happen to my comrades, understand? Do not worry.”

As the Kage dispersed from their meeting, they finally gave the order to march back to their respective villages. Soon, they would all be finally returning home. Slowly but surely, the Allied forces left the final battlefield of the 4th Great Ninja War for good. As members of each Great Nation journeyed towards their respective village, they could not help but think about the future. Each of them hoped that the 4th would be the last Great Ninja War; after every great war its combatants hope that it would be the last war to end all wars, but this time people actually thought that might end up being true. As tired as they were, they marched on with exuberance, eager for their homecoming.

Naruto was exuberant too, but he could not stop thinking about Sasuke, and he especially could not stop thinking about what he had said earlier. He had already heard before from Madara/Obito that Itachi was ordered to kill his clan, but he had no idea that Old Man Third might have allowed it, or even approve it. He thought it was just Danzo’s doing. Sasuke said he heard it from the Third himself; did that mean it was true? How could that be? No, it couldn’t be true. Old Man Third would have stopped it. He definitely would have. There’s no question. Pushing back his doubts, Naruto continued on with his friends, making their way home to the Leaf Village. The Tailed Beasts went their separate ways; the Kage were reluctant to try and subdue any of them, not that Naruto would have let them. The other half of Kurama joined him inside, and that, along with Sasuke returning, Naruto felt a sense of completion. Nonetheless, he still felt uneasy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shinobi of the Leaf make their return to the village.

After splitting from the Allied Forces, the Leaf shinobi marched back home as eagerly as they could manage. The Sand came along with them, intending to rest at the Leaf village before continuing their own journey home. Also with them were their prisoners Sasuke and the rest of Taka as well as Kabuto. Kabuto had been placed under heavy guard with Yamato in charge of his security. At least the tables were turned this time. He had woken up from being a prisoner of Kabuto and Tobi to war that was already over but at least Naruto was safe and Yamato couldn’t help but feel proud of him for ending the war and finally managing to recover Sasuke. While under guard Kabuto was unnaturally calm, even giving Yamato an apology for his capture which had been taken with more than a few grains of salt. Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo were viewed cautiously but with not nearly as much suspicion as Kabuto or Sasuke; the only thing the Leaf knew about them was that they had been allies of Orochimaru but not much else. Suigetsu spent most of the trip trying to convince who ever would hear that he was forced against his will to help Orochimaru. Karin spent most of it being annoyed by Suigetsu, and Juugo simply remained silent, keeping an eye on Sasuke. Sasuke had made no sound while being led by Kakashi on the return home. Walking with Naruto, Gaara assured him that he would do what he could to protect Sasuke but that Sasuke would need to face judgment. Despite Gaara’s assurances, Naruto was just afraid that the Kage would just throw him in a jail and he’d never see him again. Regardless, Naruto was able to spend most of the return journey catching up with his friends, and the air was full of hope and excitement for the future. Together, Tsunade and Gaara promised to never let things go back to the way they were, and that the world would see permanent change for the better.

It would be two days before they finally reached their destination: The Village Hidden In The Leaves. The village erupted in equal parts celebration and devastation; celebration at the return of its heroes, and devastation at how few of them there were. In the coming days, the cemetery of the village would grow only larger. To Naruto’s grief, he was forced to spend his first day back at the hospital to make sure his injuries were completely treated. The Leaf hospital had the most massive hassle trying to ensure his room was not flooded with visitors, all eager to welcome him back. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon had camped out all day waiting until the hospital would allow visitors for Naruto. When they finally got in, they spent over an hour asking Naruto every possible question they could. Naruto was only too happy to oblige them, answering every question with only slight exaggerations. Their barrage of questions was interrupted by the arrival of Iruka, who for some reason was carrying a large cake with several candles stuck in it.

“Hey Iruka-sensei, what’s with the cake? I was kind of hoping someone would bring ramen for me to eat. But cake’s okay too!”

Iruka smiled softly, “Happy Birthday, Naruto. I know it was a couple days ago, but I didn’t forget, so I was thinking we could celebrate now. You deserve it.”

Konhamaru, Moegi and Udon joined Iruka in wishing him a happy birthday giving the best impromptu celebration they could.

Naruto felt himself about to cry and laughed. “You guys are about to make me cry, you know?”

“I’m really proud of you, Naruto. You’ve come so far. Everyone is so proud of you.”

“I just tried to do my best, you know?”

Naruto smiled, but Iruka noticed a small hint of sadness in Naruto through it. “Naruto, I heard about Sasuke. You shouldn’t worry.

“I just.. don’t want them to take him away or lock him up and never get to see him again. I worked so hard to get him back and I know he’s not gonna hurt anyone again. Why can’t they just believe me? They’re treating him like he’s evil. He’s not!

“Naruto, things always end up working out when it comes to you. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Sasuke, but as long as you believe in him, everything’s going to be just fine. You believe in the best of people, and that’s what make people want to do their best. Sasuke will be no different and he’s going to realize just how lucky he is to have someone like you believe in him. And that’s why I.. Truly think you’ll become the greatest of the Hokage one day.

“Thank you Iruka-sensei.” Iruka always had a way of making Naruto feel better when he was down.

“And if you’re going to be a great Hokage, you’re going to need to study and work hard! You’re still a genin so you have a long way to go! No shortcuts! Got it?

Naruto groaned. “You had to mention that, huh…”

“There’s no doubt that you’re strong, Naruto. But you need to start actually thinking. You can’t rely on people like Shikamaru and Sakura to do all that for you!

“Why not?!”

Iruka blinked, quietly contemplating the volume of what his response would be. “That’s not what a Hokage does! Being Hokage isn’t just about who’s the strongest ninja in the village; it’s who can make the best decisions for the village. You need to know history If you talk like that, we might as well make one of them Hokage!”

“That’d be too much work for Shikamaru and Sakura is scary enough as it is…” Hokage Sakura would be the most terrifying enemy Naruto could ever face. Sexy Jutsu would become a forbidden jutsu and that wasn’t a world Naruto wanted to live in, no offense to Sakura. “Okay, okay. I’ll do my best to become the greatest Hokage, whatever it takes! Even if I have to study…

Konohamaru helpfully added, “We’ll help you, big brother! I’ve got all kinds of history books and books about the Hokage!

“You’re absolutely right, Konohamaru! If we don’t know our history, we’ll just end up repeating it.”

Konohamaru grinned widely. “And we don’t want that, big brother!” Looking at Naruto’s disappointed face, they all giggled. “My old man was super strong and super smart. And you want to be just like him, right?

“Yeah, that’s right…” The mention of the Third Hokage reminded Naruto of what Sasuke said back at the battlefield that the Old Man was one of the ones responsible for what happened to his family. That couldn’t be true, could it? Sasuke must have been mistaken; there’s no way he’d let that happen, absolutely no way. What happened was so awful, making Sasuke’s brother kill his family like that. Only evil guys like Orochimaru or that Zetsu guy could do something like that, and the Old Man was definitely not evil. No, there was no…

Iruka shouting his name snapped him back to reality. Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi’s eventual one-sided conversation had continued while he was consumed by thought and Iruka noticed that Naruto seemed spaced out.

“Naruto, you drifted off a bit there. Are you okay?

“Yeah. I think I’m just a little tired, that’s all.

“Alright then, we should let you rest. With all this excitement, I bet you haven’t really had a chance to get some quality sleep.”

The three younger genin groaned and complained as Iruka scooted them out of the room.

“But Naruto was just going to finish the story about how he fought that rabbit lady goddess!”

“I’ll tell you guys about it later, I promise.” Part of Naruto wanted to keep talking to everyone, but he was too preoccupied with what Sasuke said. He wished he could just talk to him and ask him about it. Everything Naruto heard about Danzo was that he had been kind of shady, so he didn’t doubt that part of his story. He just wanted to know what Sasuke had meant by when he said the Hokage allowed the Uchiha to be killed.

“Naruto isn’t going anywhere; there’ll be plenty of time to talk to him later, so give him some rest.” Iruka ushered the still-complaining Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon out of the room and closed the door.

Iruka was right; Naruto did feel tired. As he closed his eyes, he thought about how Sasuke must be felling now. He was in the hospital too, but they had placed guards everywhere and no one was allowed to see him except for Sakura and the other medical staff. It wasn’t going how Naruto imagined when it came to bringing Sasuke back. Maybe he was stupid for thinking things could go back to normal, to back when they were all teammates in Team 7. Naruto eventually asleep gloomily, maybe just as gloomily as how Sasuke would have slept that day.

Having slept a couple hours, Naruto woke up to the dim rays of sunset in his hospital room. Just as he was about to decide to go to sleep, Sakura and Kakashi calmly entered the room. Naruto jumped up at the sight of them.

“Kakashi-sensei, Sakura! What’s up?

Sakura gave a warm smile, and said, “I and the hospital staff think it’s okay for you to be discharged now. Just make sure you don’t overexert yourself, okay? It wouldn’t do you any good for you to end up right back here.”

“That’s great! You’re the best, Sakura!” Naruto grinned and giggled excitedly, ready to get back into the thick of things. He didn’t like just lying around. However, he also remembered…

“What about Sasuke?”

Sakura’s expression darkened. “He’s…fine. He’s in the same condition as you.”

“Did you talk to him?

“I tried, but he didn’t have much to say. I don’t think he wanted to talk to me, or anyone.

“What’s going to happen to him?”

The biggest concern Kakashi had right now was Naruto doing something hasty related to Sasuke, so in his most gentle tone he said, “They’re going to move him… elsewhere in the village, at least until the Kage come to a permanent decision. Everyone has their hands full right now just trying to get their bearings after the war, but we’ll know soon enough.” Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Kakashi already knew what he was going to ask. “…And Naruto, no you won’t be able to see him. Not right now. I think it’s best to give Sasuke some time.

“Kakashi-sensei is right, Naruto. We all care about Sasuke, but he needs time to figure out things on his own. And…we don’t know yet whether he still plans on attacking the village. The safety of the village has to come first.” As hard as it was, Sakura was stating the plain truth. She didn’t believe Sasuke would do that either, but the village just couldn’t risk something happening to Naruto because of Sasuke… or worse, Naruto being responsible for Sasuke escaping to wreak havoc.

“He won’t! I know he won’t!”

“We do believe that, Naruto. I don’t think Sasuke wouldn’t have surrendered like that otherwise, but still it’s just a temporary precaution. I promise that you will be able to talk to Sasuke again.” Kakashi paused; he knew exactly why Naruto was so intent on talking to him. “Naruto, you can’t change Sasuke all by yourself. He has to do that himself. You can’t force people to change, not if they don’t want to. So just give him time, and I know everything will work out, okay?”

Naruto nodded despondently and tried to swallow all the fears and anxieties he had about Sasuke’s future in the village. “Okay, I understand. As long as I can talk to him later, right?”

Relieved, Kakashi cheerfully said, “Of course. And now that you can finally leave, how about we grab a meal somewhere. How about Ichiraku? On me.” Hopefully that would cheer Naruto up and get him to stop thinking about Sasuke for once.

Kakashi’s ramen ploy worked. Naruto’s eyes lit up like blue sunbeams. Much to Sakura’s dismay, Naruto vaulted out of bed excitedly. “Alright! Come on Sakura, Kakashi-sensei! I can’t remember the last time I had Ichiraku… I hope they didn’t change the menu too much while I was gone, I don’t think I could take it.” The three left the room, managing to forget just for a moment the future of their former teammate.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi speaks to Sasuke in his prison cell.

Darkness. That was all Sasuke saw and felt for the following days after arriving in the village. Once moved out of the hospital, he had been taken to a prison cell to await judgment. His eyes remained sealed. He barely ate the food that was offered him, only giving in to thirst and hunger when he could no longer bear it. Even Sasuke didn’t have the will to starve himself to death, so maybe a part of him still wanted to live, or to at least see what his judgment would hold. The ones guarding him simply issued terse orders and announcements at set intervals; he could tell that there was fear and caution in their voices. Even bound as he was, they were still threatened by Sasuke.

It was three days before someone would finally come to speak to him. Sasuke heard footsteps coming and did not recognize them as any of his guards. His guards always came at regular intervals, and it was far too soon for them to come again. The footsteps came closer and closer; they were light footsteps, the footsteps of a person used to stealth and subterfuge. So it wasn’t a surprise when his cell door creaked open and a familiar voice called his name. Kakashi.

Kakashi strode over to Sasuke and, without a hint of trepidation, removed the seal that blinded him. Sasuke’s cell was lit by a single dim torch, but to him, it burned with the brightness of a sun. He had been blindfolded like that for several days. His eyes strained to adjust to his surroundings and the figure of his old sensei came into focus. Sasuke glared at him suspiciously.

“Kakashi. Why are you here?”

“I just came to talk. I thought I should tell you some news about your…situation. The Five Kage are calling for a new Summit to be hosted at the Leaf. The Summit will discuss the future for all of us after the War. Part of that discussion will also be what to do with you.

“I see,” Sasuke said blankly. “What else? Is the Hokage actually investigating what happened with my clan and Itachi?”

“Lady Tsunade is, in fact. Last I heard, she was going to pay a visit to the other Elders.” Kakashi laughed. “I don’t think I’d want to be them right now.

“Good.” Sasuke was pleasantly surprised that Tsunade was keeping her word. Perhaps not _all_ the Hokage are so craven.

An awkward silence ensued. Sasuke had nothing else to say evidently to Kakashi. However, Kakashi had a burning question he needed to know the answer to. “Sasuke. I want to ask. Say you were to be released right now; what would you want to do? If you could do anything, what would it be?

Sasuke scoffed skeptically. “As if that would ever happen.”

“Just humor me for a bit. What would you do?

Sasuke looked away from Kakashi to think for a moment. Thinking about what he would do with freedom was an exercise in futility, but he knew that Kakashi wouldn’t leave without an answer. “I…would leave. Leave the village and just keep walking. Maybe I’d come back. Maybe I wouldn’t, but right now, there’s nothing for me here.”

“It’s a step above wanting to kill everybody so I’ll take it. However, I wouldn’t have taken you as a coward, Sasuke.

A hot stab of anger rose through Sasuke’s chest. What was the point of Kakashi trying to rile him up like this? “How dare you call me that! You…

“You can’t run away from your problems, Sasuke. Whether you admit or not, this place is your home. It’s where the people that care about you are. And there are more of them than you think; there’s a lot of people in the village who are in your corner here. Naruto, especially. All he does lately is run around asking people to give you a chance.

“Why?! I don’t deserve their charity or their forgiveness! I deserve nothing of the sort! All I’ve given them is pain and suffering, the same pain and suffering that this village gave me! They won and I lost. They can have their victory, but I can never be one of them. I don’t understand why Naruto tries so hard to change that.”

“It’s because he cares about you, Sasuke. Hell, maybe I don’t even understand it either but he cares about you more than anyone else in the village. He doesn’t want you to be miserable, and it doesn’t come down to what you deserve. It’s about breaking that cycle of misery you’re trapped in; the same one Madara was in, and Nagato, and so many others. That’s all Naruto wants. He’s already forgiven you, Sasuke. You just need to start forgiving yourself.

Sasuke sneered, his voice heavy with veiled emotion. He wanted to run away; there was no way that he could ever be forgiven. “Naruto is not the only person in the village. He may forgive me but that will be just him.” His voice was full of contempt, but it was contempt mostly for himself.

“Not everyone is going to forgive you so easily as Naruto, that’s true. Maybe some will never forgive you. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Is spending the rest of your life in a cell what you really want? It’s not something Naruto wants, nor Sakura, and it’s definitely not something I want. There’s a lot of good you can still do in the world. The future does not have to be as dark as you think it is.

“Future? Is the future really going to be so different? They say things are going to be different this time but they probably won’t be. It’ll just start again. The war and the pain and the hurt will all come back. Before you know it, the fifth Great Ninja War will end up happening anyway. I will be the same; who I am and what Naruto wants for me are just…not compatible. I am not like him, and I never will be.”

“Spoken like a coward, Sasuke. You’re afraid. You’ve spent so much time wrapping yourself in hate that you think it’s all you have, but it’s not. Maybe you’re right and nothing will change in the end but we won’t know if we don’t try to change things. There are things in this world worth saving. Naruto sees something in you that’s worth saving. Sakura and I see it too. I think Lady Tsunade does too, and so many others. It’s not about changing who you are, Sasuke. It’s about being the person that was willing to sacrifice his life for Naruto in the Land of Waves and who would do anything to protect his comrades. It’s about being the person I know you are, not the one twisted by hatred and vengeance.

Kakashi’s words tore right at Sasuke’s heart. He was right; tear away the hatred, the anger and the pain and what was left? Was that the person Naruto and everyone else was trying to save? Sasuke didn’t even know who that person was, not anymore. Who was he before he was twisted by his quest for vengeance? He…was a person that loved his brother. That loved his family. Maybe he could find out who that person is, in the future. The future was an unknown but there could be something there for Sasuke, if he just tried. Yes, that’s all he could do at this point. Try. Try to find that person who Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi cared about.

Kakashi could tell something he said had reached Sasuke; instead of lashing out at being called a coward, he just sat there thinking. “Sasuke. There’s a memorial service being held tomorrow for all those lost in the war, including Neji. I think you should attend. I can pull some strings and get the Hokage to let you come, though only if you agree to. It would be a start, at least, to make up for the things you’ve done.”

A start. A step forward. Sasuke had to start somewhere, he supposed. Sasuke looked up at Kakashi, his eyes wet with silent tears, and nodded, preparing himself to take that first step.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata attends the memorial service for the fallen, including Neji.

Hinata looked up at the clear skies above the funeral ceremony and saw an eagle soaring over the village. It was a beautiful day, unfit for a funeral service. It was a bright autumn afternoon, the perfect weather to enjoy the autumn colors of the village. She thought sadly to herself that Neji would definitely have pointed out the irony. Beside her was her father Hiashi and her sister Hanabi, and round them were arrayed the other members of the Hyuga. The newly added gravestones in the cemetery gleaned glistening white, standing out amongst the forlorn sea of older gravestones. On the shrine in front of them, the portraits of all the lost had been placed. Dozens of faces stared unblinking back at Hinata. Mourners had placed flowers and other tokens all around the portraits, their faces framed by a symphony of color.

Jonin. Chunin. Genin. Some of their portraits smiled back, a sad reminder of happier times. Other portraits looked more grim, like Neji’s. Neji’s portrait stared resolutely forward as unafraid as he was when he faced death. In his portrait, Neji wore the standard ninja headband across his forehead; he had always hated taking it off, even for formal portraits. He didn’t like anyone looking at his branch family curse mark.

Looking at the curse marks of the branch family that were present gave Hinata sent pangs of hurt down her spine. Neji always talked about forsaking destiny to choose his own path. Neji had died to protect a member of the main family, Hinata, just as the stated destiny of the branch family dictated. Hinata’s uncle, and Neji’s father, died the same way, protecting the main family. When she learned the truth of her uncle’s death, there was always a part of Hinata that thought maybe destiny was the one who won in the end. Did Uncle Hizashi and Neji really forsake destiny or did they simply choose to accept it? They probably wouldn’t have agreed and Hinata felt she shouldn’t be one to argue. She had fatalistically accepted destiny before. She had believed her father when he told her that she was weak and useless, but that was before she met Naruto and became closer with Neji. Neji always helped her train and he never let her believe that she was weak.

Hinata wondered if perhaps their roles should have been switched. It should be Hinata’s face smiling sadly from that funeral dais, and Neji standing amongst the crowd. What if she had jumped back in at the last moment, shielding Neji from the killing blow? She had intended to take it for Naruto; she should have taken it for Neji. The tears that Hinata were crying were tears of grief, but also anger. Anger at herself, but also anger at her clan. When her father had heard the news, he remarked that, “Neji died the best way a branch family member could hope to, just like his father.” It had made Hinata angry. He wasn’t just a branch family member, he was a Hyuga just like her. Why was it better for him to die than her? There was no difference between them, other than which parents bore them. Even still, Neji had more talent than anyone in the main family. Were it not for that mark on his forehead, he could have been clan leader. Hinata thought about what Neji would do if he were in her place, if he was the one to make it through the war all because a Hyuga main family member sacrificed herself. He’d want to change things. Hinata was beginning to think that’s what she wanted too. There shouldn’t be a branch family; the world was changing rapidly in front of them. The Hyuga should too. The thought of confronting her father about this terrified her. And what would Hanabi say? But she can’t be afraid; she wasn’t weak. Neji helped to teach her that.

Lady Hokage Tsunade was speaking some words in front. They were customary words, familiar refrains about sacrifice and loss. Lady Tsunade knew those all too well. Hinata always thought there was a sad air about Lady Tsunade, especially after Jiraiya’s passing. If Hinata caught a glance at the Hokage while no one was around, she felt as if a small part of the jutsu that maintained the Hokage’s youthful appearance was failing, revealing a tired old woman with eyes marked by grief. Hinata would blink and then Lady Tsunade would return to normal. Tsunade had ended her speech, and then the formal part of the service was over. The crowd scattered to pay personal respects to the ones that they had lost, transferring the flowers and tokens near their portraits to their gravestones. The rest of Hinata’s clan, including her father and Hanabi paid their final respects to Neji and departed, leaving Hinata to tend to his gravestone. Hinata just finished meticulously placing the myriad number of flowers on Neji’s gravestone when she looked up and saw a flurry of familiar faces. All of her former classmates were gathered around her. Someone placed a firm hand on her shoulder. When she looked up she saw Sakura giving a comforting smile Among them she could see Guy-sensei in a wheelchair flanked by Rock Lee and Tenten. Upon their faces, Hinata saw the marks of tears long since spent. Nobody said a word; everyone just seemed to want to bask in the memory of Neji Hyuga. One-by-one they departed, saying their final goodbye to Neji. Hinata didn’t want to leave just yet; she wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

Dusk sank upon the cemetery, with twilight barely illuminating the last mourners in dim orange. Hinata had almost been ready to depart when she heard a voice behind her.

“Hinata.”

The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She got up and looked behind her and to her surprise saw Sasuke Uchiha standing before her. Right beside him was Kakashi-sensei, looking inscrutable as usual. Sasuke’s left eye was covered by a black eyepatch and his face looked morose.

“What are you doing here?” Hinata asked.

Behind Sasuke, Kakashi spoke up. “The Hokage allowed Sasuke a temporary release to attend the service, if he desired.

“I…wanted to pay my respects to Neji. He was a good shinobi.” Sasuke paused awkwardly; he seemed to have trouble finding words. “He risked his life to try and save me once. I should thank him.

The retrieval mission. That seemed like such a long time ago.

“I think he’d appreciate that, Sasuke. Neji always respected you. For a long time, I think you were the only one he considered his equal.” Hinata smiled slightly. “Of course, Naruto eventually changed his mind about that.”

“Naruto. He is rather good at changing people’s minds, isn’t he?”

“Yes, yes he is.”

Sasuke and Hinata continued reflecting on Neji’s gravestone for a bit longer when Hinata interrupted the silence.

“Sasuke. Have you been able to talk to Naruto yet? I think he’s upset that he hasn’t gotten a chance yet to speak to you since you came back. Sakura too I think.”

Her question made Sasuke look even more morose. Kakashi spoke up, “Now’s not the best time right now. He and Sakura will have their chance soon enough. Sasuke just came her to pay his respects, that’s all.

“Okay. But you’ll talk soon, right?”

“Yes.” Sasuke made a deep sigh. “I think I’m ready to go back now, Kakashi.”

“I should get going too,” Hinata added. “It’s late.”

“Take care of yourself, Hinata.” Kakashi added.

Sasuke and Kakashi said their goodbyes to Hinata and their last goodbyes to Neji and departed into the sinking twilight. Before Hinata finally left, she said hers as well to Neji.

“Goodbye, Neji. Thank you for everything.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsunade pays a visit to Sasuke in his cell.

Four days had passed since Sasuke surreptitiously attended the memorial service for the war’s fallen, making it a week since he arrived back at the village, and a week inside his cell. He was no longer blindfolded in his cell; the only thing keeping him from escape were the rusty bars of the cell and the guards posted behind them. It would be no problem at all for him to simply break out of his cell through force, dispatch his guards and leave. But that wasn’t what Sasuke wanted. Still, he was surprised that the security had became so lenient; he had suspected to be completely blindfolded all the way up to the Kage Summit. Perhaps this was a test of Kakashi’s. Kakashi knew that Sasuke wanted to leave the village for good, so maybe this was a test of his? A dare to escape and do just what he wanted. But he refused. Sasuke thought about how Naruto would react to him leaving like that. No doubt he would just end up chasing him down like before. That guy could be really persistent. And annoying. But part of Sasuke didn’t want to hurt Naruto like that; Sasuke knew he had to say something to him. But what exactly?

Sasuke spent the better part of his last few days pacing in his cell, playing out imaginary conversations in his head. The things he would say. How to make things right again. The conversation he had with Hinata at the service gave him some confidence that not all bridges had been completely burned, but Hinata never seemed to be the vindictive or suspicious type so Sasuke couldn’t be sure. He practiced exchanges with Sakura, with Kakashi, and with some of his other comrades, but they always felt so stilted and unnatural. A nasty thought crept up on Sasuke that this was because he didn’t really care about them at all, but he forced himself to push it away. The only person he felt genuine with in these play-conversations was Naruto; it was with him he felt the most regret and the most pain.

Sasuke had been in the midst of one of these imagined conversations when he heard the footsteps of someone approaching. They weren’t Kakashi’s; he had come to recognize Kakashi’s soft approach. He had continued visiting Sasuke, giving him updates on what was going on in the village and making other feeble attempts at conversation. He had even brought Sasuke some books to pass the time, but Kakashi’s taste in reading material left a lot to be desired. None of the books he brought looked to be that smut Kakashi read all the time, but Sasuke still did not trust those books. The footsteps that Sasuke went click-clack with a regular rhythm as they approached. They were the footsteps of someone wearing heeled sandals. It was easy for Sasuke to guess who those footsteps belonged to.

“Lady Hokage.” Sasuke wasted no time greeting Tsunade as she appeared behind his cell door and took out a rusted key to open his cell. He took a seat on the threadbare bed that was placed in the cell. She stepped inside his cell, showing not a shred of hesitation. She obviously saw him as no threat at the moment, whether because of her own self-confidence in her ability to take him on in a fight or because of confidence that Sasuke would not try anything, Sasuke did not know.

Tsunade wryly smiled at him in greeting, the same kind of smile that a teacher gives to a particularly troublesome student. “Sasuke. It’s good to see you.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Sasuke said, his expression blank.

“Nonsense. I should thank you for getting rid of Danzo. That man was more of a headache than you could have known. Still, you can’t go around just killing whoever you don’t like. I haven’t forgotten that you intended to have me killed with the other Kage. But Kakashi assures me you’ve changed your mind since then.”

Tsunade took a seat on a stool that was in the cell next to a table, leaning back casually seemingly ignorant of the fact that Sasuke was considered a highly dangerous criminal by almost the entire village.

Sasuke eyed her suspiciously. “Cut to the chase. Why are you here?”

“Straight to the point, then.” Tsunade replied. “I finished looking into what you asked me to. The Uchiha massacre and your brother.

“And?” Sasuke stared at the current Hokage, who looked completely inscrutable. He tried to read her expression but her youthful face told him nothing.

“Everything you said appears to be true. Danzo ordered Itachi to massacre the Uchiha in response to their plans for a coup. Though it took some…convincing, the other elders confirmed this. You should also know that they’ll be stepping down from leadership in the village for the future.

“So everyone knows that Itachi wasn’t a traitor now?” Sasuke was already surprised when Kakashi told him that the Hokage was actually looking into this, but even more surprised that she was able to confirm what he told her.

“That’s the thing. It’s not public, not yet. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.” Tsunade paused, studying Sasuke for a moment. “You do know that if this comes out everyone will know that the Uchiha were planning a coup, right? Your whole clan will be seen as traitors. Your brother will be vindicated, but the blame will shift to the rest of your clan. Is that something you want? Is that something Itachi would have wanted?

“Itachi is dead. What he wanted doesn’t really matter, does it?” Sasuke said sadly. “What I want…is for everyone to know that my brother gave everything to protect this village, even though the village is what took everything from him. If I have to choose between my brother and the rest of my clan, I will choose Itachi.”

Tsunade crossed her arms and sighed. If there was any emotion Sasuke could read in her, it was just exhaustion. “Very well. I will publicly reveal the truth of the Uchiha massacre and issue Itachi Uchiha a posthumous pardon. Is that enough for you?

“Yes.” It was a weak salve to the wound left by everything that happened because of that night, but it was something. However, Sasuke did wonder something.

“Lady Hokage, why bother investigating this for me? I know I asked but you were under no obligation, and had no reason to believe anything I said.

“Tsk. You’re so suspicious, Sasuke. I’ll have you know that I’m on your side actually.

“I was going to have you killed. Why are you on my side now?”

Tsunade smirked coyly. “Because Naruto is on yours. Before I met Naruto, I always lost my bets, but for some reason whenever I bet on Naruto, I always win. Naruto is betting on you, so I’m going to bet on you too.

“I…” Sasuke did not know what to say to that.

Tsunade rose from her chair to leave, looking as relaxed as she did when she came in. So that’s why she wasn’t afraid of Sasuke. Because Naruto wouldn’t be afraid.

“The Five Kage Summit is happening next week, so for better or worse, hopefully you won’t have to stay in this cell for much longer. I don’t know what will happen, but I’ll be on your side. The Kazekage will be too, I imagine.” Gaara was wrapped around Naruto’s finger just as much as Tsunade was in this situation.

Sasuke rose to his feet and stumbled to find the words he wanted to say. Part of him wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t bother and that he wasn’t worth the effort, but that part was weakening and being replaced by another which just couldn’t find the right words except, “Thank you, Lady Hokage.”

“You’re welcome, Sasuke.” Tsunade stepped outside the cell, but before leaving entirely, turned her head and said to Sasuke, “You know you are an extraordinarily lucky guy to have someone like Naruto care about you so much. I hope you appreciate it.”

“I do.” Sasuke thought to himself that he was indeed lucky. Extraordinarily lucky.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yamato, having been given the assignment of hunting down Orochimaru, heads to the Leaf Intel Corps to speak with Kabuto and the members of Taka.

As Captain Yamato walked through the Leaf Village, he mindfully took a moment to enjoy the cool autumn air. Winter's cold fingers were yet to arrive this late in the season. The streets of the village were still full of remnants of celebration; there was practically a never-ending festival celebrating their victory. There had been fireworks every night for at least a week, which was charming at first but just made Yamato even more restless at night. Even after the lengthy celebrations, the village still brimmed with activity in preparation for the upcoming Kage Summit. Restaurants and inns were dusting out their best linens and sheets in preparation for the coming influx of international guests. It was just weeks after their triumphant return from the war and Yamato already had been given a new mission. The Hokage had put him in charge of hunting down Orochimaru who had managed to escape after the release of the Infinite Tsukuyome. Yamato was never one to just sit around either so when Lady Tsunade called him into her office this morning, he gladly accepted the mission. It was also personal. Orochimaru had put him through enough suffering and his machinations could not be allowed to continue. Yamato's destination was the Leaf's Intel Corps. His first order of business was going to be interrogating Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru's other cronies being held there.

As he walked, Yamato noticed that it was just past noon. It was lunchtime, so he wondered where Naruto would be at this hour, so he couldn't help but take a small detour to Naruto's favorite haunt. Not so coincidentally, he came upon Naruto stuffing himself once again at Ichiraku. With him, to Yamato's silent satisfaction, were the other members of Yamato's Team 7, Sakura and Sai. Yamato approached them, smiling and trying his best to not be awkward. "Hey, guys. I thought you might be here."

"Captain Yamato!" The three beamed at their former squad leader.

"Were you looking for us?" Naruto said, halfway through his second bowl of ramen. It was good to see that losing an arm didn't seem to affect his ability to consume ramen at a frightening pace.

"Oh, uh not exactly. Just thought you might be here and wanted to say hello." Yamato said.

"I hope you've been doing well, Captain," Sai said in his usual polite manner.

"Well, it's nice to see you, Captain Yamato! I feel like it's been forever since we last saw you." Sakura said pleasantly. "Everything's been so crazy since we got back. I wish everyone could just take a moment to relax, instead of all this commotion lately."

Naruto giggled. "What's wrong with a little commotion? I've gotten so much free food from all the celebrations!" 

_"You've_ gotten free food, Naruto. Some of us aren't as famous as you, so we have to actually pay for our food." Sakura scoffed, evidently annoyed at her apparent lack of fame. "I bet some people would give you their children if you asked."

"I don't want any children!!"

Sai piped up, "Why don't you want children, Naruto? It's a good time to think about the future, after all! Don't you want to see little Narutos running around, causing trouble?" Yamato could never tell when Sai was joking or not and this really wasn't any different.

"Now there's a terrifying thought," Sakura said, somewhat under her breath."

"Hey, it's way too early! I'm not even married yet!"

"Don't worry, Naruto! I'm just joking! However, I wonder if you even know how to make children...," Sai chuckled to himself, as he usually did when teasing Naruto.

"Hey! I know how to make children!" Naruto shouted, red in the face. "It's when you..."

"Can it, Naruto. I'm eating." Sakura gave him a look, which cowed him into silence.

Yamato laughed awkwardly. He really enjoyed spending time with them; he thought it was a shame that their time together as a team had been so short. "I should get going. I just got a new assignment from the Hokage, so I better get on it."

Naruto jumped to attention. "Oh, what is it? Is it a mission? Can we come with you? I'm so bored! I'm so ready for a cool mission!"

Yamato smiled, pleased at the thought that Naruto wanted to help him. "Maybe later. I've been assigned to track down Orochimaru.

"Good! I'd love to get another chance to fight that guy," Naruto said angrily. He's gotta pay for everything."

"Yeah, me too. I'm itching to give him a pounding," Sakura said, slamming her fist into her palm.

"I'm just gathering information for now, but you might get your chance when we find him. I've got a score to settle with him too."

"I wish you luck in your investigation, Captain Yamato," Sai replied, polite as ever.

Yamato was just about to wave goodbye, when he noticed that Naruto had a serious expression on his face. "Captain Yamato..."

Uh oh. He knew what he was about to ask. "Naruto, before you ask, I don't know anything related to Sasuke. Kakashi was put in charge of him. That's his area." At the mention of Sasuke's name, the mood immediately darkened.

"But he won't tell us anything! Why won't he let us see Sasuke?"

"I...don't know, Naruto. Maybe Sasuke needs more time. Everything's very...complicated."

"They're treating him like a criminal!"

"He is a criminal, Naruto." Sakura said sadly. Thank goodness Sakura was the one who said it Yamato thought to himself. Sai remained silent. "We're all worried about him, Naruto. Lady Tsunade promised me that she was going to help Sasuke. Kakashi is helping him too. Everything will be fine."

"I know, but..."

"Can we just not talk about him for a bit?" Sakura said, with a hint of anger and frustration in her voice. "We've talked about this, Naruto. It's just...bad to talk about all the time, so let's just eat our lunch, okay? Please?

Naruto sighed miserably. "I know..."

Yamato was able to continue his goodbyes to them, somewhat upset by the fact that their meeting ended on such a sour note. In truth, he really didn't know much when it came to Sasuke. It was not exactly something Yamato wanted to spend a lot of time thinking about. Sasuke seemed to have such a negative effect on everyone he was involved with; it just made him concerned about Naruto and Sakura. He recalled how despondent Naruto was at the last Kage Summit about Sasuke and he wondered if the upcoming one would be any different. Yamato just didn't want to see them hurt again like that.

Shaking off his concerns, Yamato quickly continued to his destination: the Intel Corps. Yamato was here to talk to the prisoner Kabuto Yakushi for information on Orochimaru, as well as the other prisoners being held there, the red-haired woman that had previously been captured but somehow escaped during the war, the Mist village ninja, and the tall quiet man that no one had any information. The Intel Corps was an unremarkable building, made so probably on purpose. It was probably a good thing that most people didn't really know what went on there with all the interrogations. Ibiki, the head of the Interrogation department, had a fearsome reputation. A chunin stationed as a guard greeted Yamato.

"Hello, Captain! We've already had word from Lady Hokage that you're here to interrogate the prisoners. Shall I have them brought to the interrogation room?"

"That won't be necessary. They've all said that they wish to cooperate with us, so I'll try the gentle approach first. I'll just speak to them in their cells for now and see how cooperative they actually are."

"Understood, sir. Right this way."

The guard led Yamato through a maze of hallways lined with heavy doors leading to interrogation rooms, many of them soundproofed as to not betray what methods of interrogation went on inside. Yamato hoped that since the war was over, the village wouldn't need places like this anymore. At last, Yamato was led down a set of stairs into a basement level of the building that contained the building's holding cells. Yamato's prisoners were the only ones being held there currently; Sasuke was being held in a separate facility with even higher security than the Intel Corps. Upon entering, a loud voice immediately accosted him.

"Hey! Hey! Someone there? You can't just keep us here! We didn't do anything! Where's our due process, our rights?! I thought this village was supposed to be, you know, like a nice village!"

A second voice, that of a woman's, shouted too.

"Shut up, Suigetsu! No one cares! You're giving me a headache!" Suigetsu was poking his head out of the bars of his cells, trying to get the attention of anyone he could.

The jailer posted outside their cells yelled back, "Would you both shut up?". He then sighed, "They do this routine every time they hear someone new come in. It can get pretty exhausting."

"Hey! You come in here and say that to my face! You're talking to one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, pal!

Karin growled, "You don't even have your stupid sword, Suigetsu! Stop yelling, you're going to make things worse!"

"My sword isn't stupid, Karin! You are!" Suigetsu sputtered.

"Oh, real mature. Fine, go ahead, please continue threatening the people holding us here and see how that works out."

"I wasn't threatening anyone! I'll ask nicely!" Suigetsu made eye contact with Yamato who regarded Suigetsu with cold suspicion and annoyance. "Hey, can you please let us go? We didn't do anything. Orochimaru made us work for him against our wills. He experimented on me and kept me prisoner! You gotta believe us! Pretty please?

Yamato sighed internally. Today was going to be a long day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yamato continues his questioning of Taka, and later questions Kabuto.

"You three were also seen at the Five Kage Summit assisting Sasuke Uchiha, who had attacked the Summit. How do you explain that?

Karin too poked her head out of her cell at the sound of Sasuke's name. "Sasuke? Where is he? Is he alright? What have you done to him? You monsters better not have touched him!"

Yamato sighed exasperatedly. Sheesh. She's almost as bad as Naruto. Looking at her hair, Yamato wondered if she was from the Uzumaki clan. A distant relative of Naruto perhaps? Could be it runs in the blood.

"He's fine. He's being detained, just as you are. So you admit that you were in league with him?

"Well, he was forcing us to help him too, just like Orochimaru!" Karin said quickly.

"That's right! Let me tell you that guy is a real piece of work. Poor us, you know? We just can't catch a break getting caught up with bad people like that," Suigetsu added entreatingly.

Yamato stared at her and Suigetsu blankly, conveying that he didn't have a shred of belief in their story. Juugo remained in his cell, brooding silently in a corner but listening intently.

"I believe you've told us this story before. Karin, wasn't it?" Yamato said, trying to remember her name. She had been captured before, so Intel had briefed Yamato on their interrogation of her previously. She certainly had a fixation on Sasuke, but judging by her successful escape earlier, Intel hypothesized that she exaggerated it to seem less "capable" than she actually was. The other two Yamato wasn't as familiar with.

"Look, if you three will just tell us the entire truth about who you are, and what you were doing with Sasuke and Orochimaru. I'm not here to try to sentence you for anything. I'm just looking for information on Orochimaru. He escaped from us before we could capture him."

Suigetsu's eyes lit up, sensing an opportunity to finagle his way out of his cell. "I know exactly where he is! If you let me out of here, I'll tell you!"

Yamato eyed him suspiciously. "You know where he is?"

"Yeah! But you gotta let me out first. I won't tell you anything until I'm out of this cell.

Yamato didn't believe a word of what Suigetsu said; it was plainly obvious that he was bluffing. "

"Hmm. How do you know where he is?" Yamato asked.

"He told us! Right before he left."

"Really? Witnesses said that Orochimaru didn't say anything to you before leaving.

"Well, who are these witnesses anyway? Can you rely on them? Maybe they have faulty memory.

"The witnesses were the Five Kage," Yamato said blankly.

"Well, of course he told us after he left then!"

"You were also with us the entire time on our return to the village. Just how did you receive any "message" from Orochimaru?"

"Yes, well, you see, um, that's the funny thing we got it through...

"Just give it up, Suigetsu. He obviously knows that we don't know where Orochimaru is," Karin said dejectedly. "If we want to get out of here, maybe we should just tell him the truth.

"Are you crazy?!"

Just then, Juugo spoke for the first time from his cell and rose from his corner to meet Yamato. "Karin's right. We should just tell the truth. That's the only way for us to get out of here."

Suigetsu groaned. "Not you too! Guess I don't have a choice then. Whatever. But you better let us out! We didn't do anything!"

"I will see what can I do," Yamato said. "Now why don't you start with telling me your names and what your story is, your actual true story that is."

Juugo spoke first. "My name is Juugo. This is Karin and Suigetsu Hozuki. We used to be a part of Orochimaru's experiments."

Juugo continued telling his story to Yamato, explaining how Sasuke gathered them together after Orochimaru's apparent "death" to assist him in hunting down his brother Itachi, and later, in working against the Leaf Village. The most interesting part of his tale was that Juugo had apparently been the source for Orochimaru's appalling curse marks. While Juugo was certainly the most cooperative and helpful of the three, Yamato noticed from his story that he was certainly the most dangerous. The village was definitely lucky that Juugo seemed to retain his composure during his confinement. Karin and Suigetsu told their respective stories as well. While they definitely seemed to follow Sasuke willingly, it seemed to Yamato that they didn't hold much loyalty to Orochimaru himself. However, they did not know any information about his whereabouts aside from the locations of a few abandoned hideouts. And it was unlikely Orochimaru would return to such obvious locations. Yamato smiled benignly at the three. He didn't exactly view them as trustworthy, but they were obviously loyal to Sasuke for some reason. Kakashi had assured Yamato that Sasuke was coming around so if he did, these three might as well.

"Thank you for the information. While we can't find Orochimaru with it, it certainly proved...illuminating."

"So are you going to let us go, or not?" Suigetsu asked, pleading once again.

"I don't think that'll be possible right now but I will inform the Kage of your situation. It'll be up to them on what to do with you. Same goes for Sasuke."

"Thanks a lot." Suigetsu said, with nary a hint of actual gratitude.

"I'll put in a good word for you, don't you worry. "The Summit will be happening soon, so you won't have to wait too long for news. I'll try to make sure it's good news, at least, "Yamato said, forcing the most sincere smile he could muster. These three would make for better allies than enemies. Suigetsu went back further inside his cell brooding on his failed attempt to weasel his way out of prison. Before leaving, Karin made a request.

"If Sasuke asks, can you tell him we're alright? I hope he's not worried about me, erm...I mean, us!" Karin asked unctuously.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Yamato responded. Something told him that Sasuke was probably not thinking much about the three of them. But who knows? Sasuke was as much a mystery as Kakashi's fascination with those porn novels of his. Regardless, Yamato took his leave of the three prisoners, leaving them somewhat disappointed at their situation of still being imprisoned. Yamato still had one more prisoner to see: Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto was being held in a separate area of the Intel Corps, one with far more security since he was regarded as far more dangerous than the others. Yamato had not forgotten his time as Kabuto's prisoner being used to power Kabuto and Madara's army of Zetsu. Though the experience was hazy, it was still an experience he was trying hard to forget. The torment of it still lingered, and he was still distressed that he had not been able to help Naruto and the others during the war. However, he was tasked with finding Orochimaru and he would do that even if it meant speaking to scum like Kabuto. He didn't have any tricks to hide behind now.

Yamato's escort led him through another hallway from Taka's cells and stopped in front of a rather menacing looking heavy iron door. The guard fumbled through his pockets to acquire an oversized key and slid into the door's lock. He opened the door, but made no move to go through. Instead he motioned for Yamato to enter instead.

"Um sir, you can go on ahead. I'll stay here and watch the door. I'll have to....uh lock the door behind you. The prisoner's cell is sealed so that no jutsu can be performed inside, so there's nothing to worry about. Holler if you need anything!"

Yamato couldn't help but note a hint of fear in the guard's voice. Was that why he was staying behind? Despite the seals, it was possible Kabuto was still dangerous. And his new snake-like appearance certainly did not ease anyone's fears. But Yamato felt no fear.

"Alright. I'll let you know when we're done here."

Yamato stepped through the door and inhaled the cold stuffy air of Kabuto's holding cell. He was in a medium-sized rectangular room, half of which was dominated by a thick glass box that served as a modified jail cell. On each corner of that box was a seal preventing chakra use, with an additional one left on the door to the box. Also on the door to the glass box was a large iron padlock. The walls to the cell were covered in regularly-spaced holes allowing air to pass and for communication with those outside the cell. Cells like this were reserved for the holding of the village's most dangerous criminals such as mass murderers like Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto made Sasuke look like a saint by comparison.

When he entered, Yamato saw Kabuto sitting on the floor of his cell doing what seemed to be meditating. However, upon hearing of an entry to his new seemingly permanent home he rose and greeted Yamato with a grin.

"Captain Yamato. What a pleasure. Or should I call you Tenzou?"

"It's Yamato," Yamato suppressed his quiet rage at being called by that name by Kabuto, of all people. Yamato looked into his cold slitted eyes and the mottled gray skin of his face but could read nothing from his expression aside from a smug grin. Nowadays, Kabuto's outside finally matched his monstrous insides.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Here for revenge?

"I want information on Orochimaru. Everything you know, and now."

"Ah, Orochimaru. He escaped from you, didn't he? But don't worry, I will do everything in my power to cooperate with you in finding him.

"You're going to cooperate with us?" Yamato said incredulously.

"Of course. However, I don't know how much help I can be. My former master is very good at covering his tracks but I will certainly my best. If you give me a map, I can mark all the locations of Orochimaru's previous hideouts. It's a possibility he may have retreated to one."

For a moment, Yamato was left speechless. This hadn't gone the way that he had expected at all. He had been certain that he would have had to end up bringing in an interrogation expert like Ibiki to pry information out of Kabuto. Still, his shock later turned to suspicion. "What's your angle here? I didn't expect you to be this helpful so quickly."

"I have no angle. I simply wish to help. After all, Orochimaru is a menace and must be stopped, isn't that right?"

"That's rich coming from you," Yamato said with a voice full of venom.

"I expect nothing in return. I am aware that I deserve no forgiveness or leniency for my actions.

Yamato glared at Kabuto up and down, looking for any sign of deceit or insincerity but only found an expression he could only describe as somewhat benign. Just what was his game?

"I'm having trouble believing your "altruism" here. Just what has made you so willing to help us?

Kabuto smiled and laughed. "You have Itachi Uchiha to thank for that."

"Itachi? What does he have to do with this?"

"The reanimated Itachi somehow broke free from my control and placed me into a special jutsu, which made me...realize some things. He also was the one who ended the Reanimation Jutsu, if that was something you were wondering about, along with Sasuke of course. It was a very touching brothers' reunion.

"You realized something? What?

"I realized that I did not know who I was. I latched onto Orochimaru in an attempt to gain an identity," Kabuto gave a soft chuckle. "Almost literally, in fact. As a spy, I cycled through so many personas that I forgot my own. And...now I wish to discover myself. But I cannot do that without making up for what I've done.

"I suppose that makes sense. But why should I believe you at all? You could just as easily be waiting for the perfect moment to betray and return to your master."

"You have no way of knowing, of course. And you'd be a fool to trust me, I admit. But I wish to help."

"Hmm. I guess you can start with giving us that map you mentioned and we can start from there. I'll have to inform the Hokage that you wish to cooperate."

"Of course. Be sure to give Lady Tsunade my regards."

Despite his proclaimed change of heart, Kabuto still emanated the smugness that made Yamato detest him so much. He didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. But if he could help nab Orochimaru, Yamato would accept his help, so long as it meant no strings were attached. He hadn't yet asked for any concessions in return for the information.

"Very well, Kabuto. We'll accept your "help". But if catch so much as a whiff of treachery from you, I will personally kill you, understand?

"Yes. I'll hold you to that, actually."

Suppressing yet another sigh, Yamato took his leave of Kabuto's cell and headed back towards that heavy door he entered from. It took him several forceful knocks and more than just a little shouting for him to get the guard to open the door.

"Oh sorry, sir! I thought you'd be a bit longer. How did everything go?"

"Just fine. Better than expected, actually.

"That's wonderful news. Lady Hokage will be sure to be pleased."

The guard led Yamato back out of the Intel Corps into the dwindling afternoon sun. The village still bustled with activity. He had expected to be in there longer so he thought about what to do with the rest of the day. He was not expected to report back to the Hokage till the next day. Perhaps he would check in with Kakashi and see what his progress with Sasuke was. He was curious, but it would be more for Naruto's sake than anything else. Hopefully, Yamato could bring him some good news. He really hated to see Naruto depressed like that, especially amid all this celebration. No doubt Kakashi would rebuff him though; if Naruto couldn't persuade him to share details, neither could he likely. Still, having made up his mind, Yamato stepped purposely through the festive streets.


End file.
